Firearm



C. C. LOOMIS May 14, 1935.

FIREARM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1932 I'll! Q 3nventor "I Crawford. Gloom (Ittorneg I May 14, 1935. c. c. LOOMIS FIREARM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1932 INVENTOR. Crawford C. Loomas BY a? ATTORNEY Patented May 14, 1935 PATENT OFFICE FIREARM Crawford 0. Loomls, Ilion, N. Y.-, assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1932, No. 616,234

15 Claims.

This invention relates to firearms of the multiple barrel type, and contemplates a firing mechanism for such firearms whereby the firing of cartridges in chambers associated with said multiple barrels is effected upon successive pulls of a single trigger. As applied to guns compris ing two barrels, the invention in one aspect contemplates a mechanism for firing either barrel first at will, and as an incident to the firing of the first barrel the setting of the mechanism in such a way that upon another pull of the trigger the second barrel will be fired regardless of which barrel was fired first. As a modification, the invention contemplates a construction in which the order of firing is fixed, one barrel always being fired first; but capable of assembly in such a manner as to change the order o f'firing of the barrels.

The invention contemplates the provision of mechanism for holding the trigger in pulled position following the first pull until the recoil and counter-recoil movements of the gun have been completed, thereby positively preventing the premature firing of the second barrel, commonly referred to as doubling.

With. these and other objects in'view, the invention comprises certain novel devices and arrangements of devices, a representative embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

' Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of a firearm having one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto, the firing mechanism being cocked.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation showing the firing mechanism associated with one barrel in fired position, and the trigger and associated parts in the positions which they assume during the recoil and counter-recoil movements of the gun incident to firing.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, both hammers being cocked and the left hand hammer selected for firing.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 4 showing the position of the parts afterthe left hand hammer is fired.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section substantially on the broken line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section substantially on I the line l-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 4but with the right hand hammer selected for firing.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modification in which the order of firing is fixed.

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is an inverted fragmentary plan view of a trigger plate showing the single trigger replaced by a pair of triggers, each controlling one sear.

Fig. 13 is. a fragmentary side elevation of a, trigger spacer plate and trigger shown in Fig. 12.

The invention has been shown as applied to a firearm of the super-posed barrel type, the breech mechanism being in many respects similar to that illustrated and described in applicants prior co-pending application, Serial No. 511,190, filed January 26, 1931, although it is to be understood that such a firearm has been selected for the purpose of illustration only, the invention to be described being readily susceptible of adaptation to many other firearms. Said firearm comprises an upper barrel I0 and a lower barrel ll secured together and hinged to the forward end of a frame or receiver l2 to which a stock I3 is secured by any suitable means. The breech is held closed by means of a main bolt in the form of an exterior breech joint cover I adapted to be retracted to unlock the breech by means of a finger piece or top lever l5. Movement of the top lever to unlock the breech likewise moves a plunger Hi to engage and retract a safety member I! which is otherwise manually controlled by a finger piece or safety slide l8l. Pivoted to the safety member I! is a sliding link l8 provided on opposite sides with projecting lugs l9 adapted in one position of the link 18 to underlie pins 20 projecting inward from the rear ends or tails of the scars 2|. The two sears 2| are positioned on opposite sides of the safety link l8 and are pivoted M22 in sear housing plates 23, said plates 23 being secured by suitable means, such as pins 24 and 25, to the lower frame plate 26 which, for convenience, will be called the trigger plate". The nose of each sear is urged to engage a notch 21 in a firing hammer 28 by a suitable spring (not shown) contained in a spring housing 29 which engages an abutment 30 fixed in the sear housing plates. To prevent undesirable over movement of the'sears in either direction each sear is provided with a stud 3| received in an open slot in a sear housing plate, the engagement of studs 3| with the margins 32 and 33 of said slot limiting the sear movement. The hammers 28 are adapted to strike the firing pins 3| associated respectively with the upper and lower barrelative rotation.

rels. Each hammer is urged forward by a plunger 35 having a suitable connection with the hammer and controlled by a hammer spring 36.

The invention contemplates that either barrel may be fired first at the will of the operator, and that following the firing of the first barrel the parts are left in such a condition that another pull of the trigger is effective to fire the second barrel. The single trigger 31 is pivoted at 38 in the trigger plate 26. The trigger itself does not engage either sear. To the rear of the pivot 38, the trigger is recessed to receive a shifter or connector 39 which is apertured longitudinally to receive a connector pin 48 by which the connector 39 is pivotally supported upon the trigger. Said connector comprises a sear engaging surface 4| and an upwardly and forwardly extending nose 42 adapted to be engaged by one or the other of two actuators 43R and 43L, pivoted at. in the sear housingplates 23 and each urged counterclockwise (Figs. 1 and 2) about pivot 44 by a spring 45 retained in a well in the connector by a spring housing 46 which is stopped against an abutment 41 likewise supported between the sear housing plates 23. The actuators 43 stand immediately back of the hammers 28 and each is adapted to be rocked about its pivot, against the compression of its spring 45 to the Fig. 1 position, by engagement with the associated hammer 28 as the hammer is moved to cocked position.

The hammer-engaging portion of each actuator may take the form of a head 48 which rides along the back of the hammer, and as the hammer reaches cocked position enters a recess 49, whereby the actuators are not moved during the over cocking movement of the hammers. Each actuator comprises a cam face 59 adapted for cooperation with the nose 42 of the connector 39.

Both hammers being cocked (Fig. 4), the initial position of the connector 39 under either the right hand sear or the left hand sear is determined by means which will be presently described. when either hammer is fired (Figs. 2 and 5), the associated actuator 43R. or 43L is released for movement counter-clockwise about its pivot by its spring 45, and in this movement the cam 50 of said actuator engages the nose 42 of the connecter, shifting the .connecter away from the sear associated with the fired hammer and beneath the opposite sear. Thus, the order of firing is determined by the initial position of the connector, and the firing of each barrel is effective to shift the connector into such a position that a second trigger pull effects the firing of the second barrel.

The means for determining the initial position of the connector 39 with reference to the two sears may take various forms. The form which has been selected for the purpose of illustration is as follows:

The lower forward face of the connector 39 comprises a transverse slot 5| adapted to receive lateral projections or lugs 52 on either side of the connector pin. Said pin may be formed in a screw machine with an enlargement of sufflcient diameter to provide for the lugs 52, the metal above and below such lugs being subsequently milled oil. The engagement of lugs 52 in slot 5| holds the connector and connector pin against The rear end of the connector pin is received in a recess 53 in the trigger. Forward from the lugs 52, the connector pin 49 comprises an enlarged head 54 having therein a peripheral groove 55 adapted to receive the trigger pivot pin 38, whereby the connector pin is .to the left and below the left hand sear.

held in place. Forward from the head 54 said connector pin includes afurther enlargement 56 having a fiat lower face 51 (Fig. 4). The face 51 is adapted for engagement by a spring-pressed plunger 58 partly contained in a transversely extending and manually shiftable selector 59. A spring-60 housed in a. recess in the selector 59 engages a shoulder on plunger 58 to urge said plunger outwardly.

The selector 59 is mounted for movement transversely of the gun in the forward part of the trigger. It'is provided with suitable manipulating and movement limiting heads 6| and 62. For convenient assembly, one of these heads may be made a separate piece provided with an extending threaded shank 63 adapted to be received in a tapped hole in the body of the selector. When the selector is in its right hand position, plunger 58 engages the face 51 of the connector pin 49 some distance to the right of the center of said pin, as illustrated in Fig. 4, thereby throwing the sear engaging surface 4| of the connector If the selector is shifted to the left the point of engagement of plunger 58 with the face 51 shifts to a position to the left of the center of pin 49, as shown in Fig. 8, and the upper part of the connector is moved to the right, bringing the surface 4| under the right hand sear and the nose 42 under the right hand actuator. Thus, either of the two sears may be operated by the first pull of the trigger, and upon the fall of the released hammer and subsequent movement of the associated actuator the connector will be shifted to position to engage the opposite sear.

The selector 59 is yieldingly held in either its right or left hand position by means of a plunger 64 (Fig. 7) housed in a well in the trigger and urged forward by suitable means, such as a spring 65, into either of two notches 55, 61 in the side of the selector 59. 'I'he sides of said notches are inclined, and the head of plunger 64 is curved in order to permit the plunger to be retracted against the compression of its spring 65 by pres-v sure upon either of the heads 6| or 62. If desired, means may be provided for locking the selector in eitherits right hand or its left hand the screw 68 is advanced to bring its point into the groove in plunger 64, the plunger is locked in either notch 66 or 61 and the selector is also looked. In this condition, the same barrel isalways fired first, the barrel which is fired first being determinedby the position, either right or left, in which the selector is locked.

Means are provided for preventing the return of the trigger to its normal forward or unpulled position during the recoil and counter-recoil movements of the gun, and likewise preventing movement of the trigger forward from its normal position, which means may be constructed as follows:

A trigger lock 10 is pivoted in the trigger plate at 1|. Said lock comprises an upwardly facing shoulder 12 and a second upwardly facing shoulder 13, both adapted for co-operating with a tail 14 on the trigger. The trigger lock is held retracted by means of'a light spring 15 suitably secured in the rear end of the receiver. A convenient means for this purpose comprises an extension 16 of the screw which retains the trigof the trigger.

ger guard bow II. The trigger lock is of sufllcient mass to insure that it will be swung forward on recoil, tensioning spring 18, and its upper end may comprise a slot 18 (Fig. 9) to receive the safety link l8 when the trigger lock is thus swung forward.

When the mechanism is in normal position, as shown in Fig. l, shoulder 12 underlies the tail H stopping forward movementbf the trigger, and a forwardly facing surface I8 on the trigger lock stands in the rear of the tail l4 blocking forward movement of the trigger lock 18. When the trigger is pulled tall 18 is raised to the Fig. 2 position, clear of surface 18. During the recoil which follows the firing of the gun incident to a. pull of the trigger, the trigger lock swings forward to the Fig. 2 position, moving shoulder 13 beneath the tall 14 and preventing return of the trigger to normal position until recoil and counter-recoil are completed. It will be noted that the trigger lock has a substantial forward and return movement during which the trigger is held depressed, and that thereafter the trigger must move forward to normal position before it can be pulled to fire the second barrel. This arrangement effectually prevents a second depression of the trigger during counter-recoil, which depression would result in the premature firing of the second barrel, commonly known as doubling.

In the modification, illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, the manual selector is eliminated. A plunger 88, generally similar to the plunger 58 and similarly controlled by a spring 8|, is placed in one of two wells or recesses in the forward end If it is desired to actuate the left-hand sear first, said plunger is located in the right-hand well, as shown in Fig. 11; and if it is desired to actuate the right-hand sear first, the plunger is instead placed in the lefthand well. Said plunger co-operates with the fiat surface 51 of the head 56 of a connector pin, the construction of the connector pin and connector being the same as in the form heretofore described.

Itwill be apparent'that the functioning of this modification is the same as that of the preferred form except that the modification does not provide for a ready selection of the barrel to be fired first. Once the plunger 88 is located in one of the trigger wells and the mechanism assembled, the same barrel will always be fired upon the first pull of .the trigger, the connector being thereafter automatically shifted into position to engage the other trigger, as heretofore set forth.

The construction is adapted to the replacement ofthe single trigger 31 by two triggers acting respectively upon the two sears. The shifter and selector parts are all supported on the single trigger, which is held in the frame by the pivot pin 38. By removingthis pivot pin and the trigger lock pin H the single trigger and trigger lock may be withdrawn and replaced by two triggers of substantially the form illustrated in the aforementioned application, Serial No. 511,190. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, in which the two triggers are identified by numerals 85 and 86. A spacer or filler plate 88 may be placed between the two triggers, and supported on the trigger pivot 38 and the'trigger lock pin 1 I. The trigger plate I! comprises a slot or slots extending from the ends of the trigger aperture to receive one or both ends of spacer plate 88. Fig. 13 shows such a slot extending rearwardly to and beyond the trigger lock pin-II.

To prevent any free movementof the trigger when undepressed, a flat spring 88 may be attached to the trigger plate, as by a screw 9!, and project under the trigger tail ll. 'I'heforward end of said spring is slotted (Fig. 3) to straddle the trigger lock and to provide two prongs for separate control of the two triggers when two are used. Since tall 14 is broad enough to engage both prongs, the same spring is used with both the single trigger and double triggers.

The operation of the mechanism may be summarized as follows:

Assume that both barrels are loaded and both hammers cooked, and it is desired to first fire the barrel controlled by the left-hand sear; the position of the various parts of the mechanism will be as illustrated. in Figs. 1 and 4. Both actuators 43R and 43L are held in the Fig. 1 position by engagement with their respective hammers. The connector 39 is held with its sear engaging surface ll beneath the left-hand sear by the pressure of plunger 58 against the right-hand portion of the connector pin head 56. If the trigger is now pulled, the connector 39 is lifted, disengaging the left-handsear 2| from its hammer 28, which hammer swings forward, striking its firing pin 34 and discharging the shell or cartridge in the associated chamber. As the hammer moves upward and forward away from actuator 43L, said actuator is swung counterclockwise by its spring 45, assuming the position shown in Fig. 2. This engages the cam surface 50 of said actuator with the nose 42 of the connector, moving the connector to the right and bringing its sear engaging surface It beneath the right-hand sear. In this operation plunger spring, 60 is compressed, the parts assuming the position shown in Fig. 5. Recoil follows the firing of the shell at a time when the trigger is still held in pulled position, and said recoil results in swinging the trigger lock forward to the position shown in Fig. 2, the shoulder '13 of the trigger lock engaging beneath the tail 14 of the trigger and preventing restoration of the trigger to normal position until the trigger lock has again been restored to normal on counter-recoil. When the trigger lock is again restored to normal after counter-recoil, the mechanism is positioned for firing 'under control of the right-hand sear, and a second pull of the trigger will result in the firing of the shell or cartridge in the second barrel. If, at any time, it is desired to change the order of firing, this may be done by moving the manual selector 59 to the left by pressing upon the head or finger piece 6|, which brings the selector and connector to the position shown in Fig. 8, and the operation is exactly the same except that the barrels are fired in the reverse order. Said selector can be'shifted to change the order of firing at any time, whether the hammers are cooked or fired. If this is done with one or both hammers fired, the parts will assume substan; tially the position shown in Fig. 5, spring Bil-being compressed ready to shift the connector as desired' when said connector is released from the actuators by cocking the fired hammer or hammers. If it is desired to insure that one barrel will always be fired first, this may be done by disabling the manual selector through advancing screw 69 into a groove in the selector locating plunger 6|.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and herein' described is typical and illustrative only, the invention being susceptible to embodiment in many other forms, all falling within the scope of the appended claims, which are to be broadly construed.-

What is claimed is:

1. In a firearm comprising a plurality of firing hammers movable from cocked position to fired position and a plurality of sears associated respectively with said hammers, in combination, a single trigger, a connector between said trigger and said sears, said connector being shiftable from cooperative relation with one of said sears to cooperative relation with another of said sears, and a spring impelled connector actuator independent of said sears, controlled by one of said firing hammers and comprising a cam surface adapted to engage and shift said connector when said hammer is moved to fired position.

2. In a firearm comprising a plurality of firing hammers movable from cocked position to fired position and a plurality of sears associated respectively with said hammers, in combination, a single trigger, a connector between said trigger and said sears, said connector being shiftable from cooperative relation with one of said sears to cooperative relation with another of said sears, and a plurality of spring impelled connector actuators independent of said sears and controlled by said firing hammers respectively, each of said actuators comprising a cam surface adapted to engage and shift said connector when the associated hammer is moved to fired position.

3. In a firearm comprising a plurality of firing hammers movable from cocked position to fired position and a plurality of sears adapted to engage said hammers respectively and movable to hammer releasing positions, in combination, means for preventing movement of said sears past their hammer engaging positions, a single trigger, a connector pivoted on said trigger and shiftable from cooperative relation with one of said sears to cooperative relation with another of said scars; and a connector actuator spring urgedtoward one of said firing hammers and adapted to be moved by said hammer against the force of its spring when said hammer is cocked, said actuator comprising a cam surface adapted to engage and shift said connector when said actuator is moved by its spring as the hammer moves to fired position.

4. In a firearm comprising a plurality of firing hammers and a plurality of sears cooperating respectively with said hammers mounted between sear housing plates and spring urged to hammer engaging position, in combination, a single trigger, a connector on said trigger shiftable into operative relation with any one of said sears, a plurality of hammer controlled actuators adapted to engage and shift said connector, and means for stopping the movement of said sears past hammer engaging position comprising cooperating parts on said sears and sear housing plates.

5. In a firearm comprising a plurality of firing hammers and a plurality of sears associated respectively with said hammers, in combination, a trigger plate, a trigger, a pivot pin joining said trigger to said trigger plate, a connector for establishing a cooperative relation between said trigger and any of said sears, means for pivotally joining said connector to said trigger comprising a connector pin provided with shoulders and an annular recess adapted to receive said trigger pivot pin, an aperture in said connector adapted to receive a portion of said pin, slots adjacent said aperture adapted to receive said shoulders thereby holding said pin against rotation in said connector, and a recess in said trigger adapted to receive the end of saidpin projecting from said connector aperture.

6.- In a firearm comprising a plurality of firing hammers movable from cocked position to fired position and a plurality of sears associated respectively with said hammers, in combination, a single trigger, a connector for establishing a cooperative relation between said trigger and any of said sears, a connector pin non-rotatably joined to said connector, means for rotatably supporting said connector pin on said trigger, and means for determining the position of said connector relative to said sears comprising a device adapted to engage said connector pin and to be moved to shift its point of engagement from one side of the center of said connector pin to the opposite side of said center. I

7. In a firearm comprising a plurality of firing hammers movable from cocked position to fired position and a plurality of sears associated respectively with said hammers, in combination, a single trigger, a connector for establishing a cooperative relation between said trigger and any of said sears, a connector pin non-rotatably joined to said connector, means for rotatably supporting said connector pin on said trigger, and

means for controlling the position of said con-v nector comprising a shifter mounted for transverse rectilinear movement in said trigger and adapted when in different positions to engage said connector pin on opposite sides of its center.

8. In a firearm comprising a plurality of firing hammers movable from cocked position to fired position and a plurality of sears associated respectively with said hammers, in combination, a single trigger, a connector for establishing a cooperative relation between said trigger and any of said sears, a connector pin non-rotatably joined to said connector, means for rotatably supporting said connector pin on said trigger, and means for controlling the position of said connector comprising a fiat face on said connector pin, a shifter movable in said trigger, a spring pressed plunger projecting from said shifter and engaging the flat face of said connector pin, the point, of engagement of said plunger with said connector pin being shifted in the movement of said shifter from one side to the other of the center of said connector pin.

9. In a firearm comprising a pair of firing hammers, a pair of sears associated respectively with said hammers, a single trigger, and a connector adapted to establish a cooperative relation between .said trigger and either of said scars, in combination, means for controlling the initial position of said connector comprising a shifter mounted in said trigger and normally movable therein, means for yieldingly holding said shifter comprising notches therein and a spring pressed plunger adapted to enter one of said notches, and to be retracted when said shifter is moved, and means for locking said shifter comprising a device adapted to hold said plunger against retraction.

10. In a firearm, in combination, a pair of fircooperative relation between said trigger and either of said sears, a pair of hammer controlled connector actuators pivoted in said sear housing plates, springs for said actuators, and an abutment for said springs in said sear housing plates.

11. In a firearm, in combination, a pair of firing hammers, a pair of sears cooperating respectively with said hammers, a single pivoted trigger comprising a rearwardly extending tail, a pivoted trigger lock adapted to be swung forward by recoil and comprising a shoulder adapted when the trigger lock is swung forward to engage under said tail and lock said trigger against return to normal position, and a spring for facilitating the return of said trigger lock to normal position.

12. In a firearm, in combination, a pair of firing hammers, a pair of sears cooperating respectively with said firing hammers, a single trigger comprising a rearwardly extending tail; a pivoted trigger lock adapted to be swung forward on recoil, said trigger lock comprising a shoulder engaged by said trigger when in normal position to prevent movement of said trigger forward from normal position, and a second shoulder adapted to engage under said tail when the trigger is pulled and the lock swung forward, thereby preventing return of the trigger to normal position during recoil and counter-recoil. v

13. In a firearm, in combination, a pair of firing hammers, a pair of sears cooperating re.- spectively with said firing hammers, a safety link cooperating with said sears, a single trigger comprising a rearwardly extending tail; 9. pivoted trigger lock adapted to be swung forward on recoil and comprising a notch receiving a part of said safety link when so swung, said trigger lock comprising a shoulder engaged by said trigger when in normal position to prevent movement of said trigger forward from normal position, and a second shoulder adapted to engage under said tail when the trigger is pulled and the lock swung forward, thereby preventing return of the trigger to normal position during recoil and counter-recoil.

14. In a firearm comprising a pair of hammers movable from cocked position to fired position and a pair of sears cooperating respectively with said hammers, in combination, a single trigger, a connector associated with said trigger and adapted to be moved into cooperative relation with either of said sears, a pair of spring pressed actuators so controlled by said hammers respectively that movement of either hammer to fired position causes the associated actuator to move said connector into cooperation with the other sear, a manual selector for determining, the initial position of said connector, and a yieldable connection between said selector and said connector, whereby said selector may be shifted when one or both of said actuators engage said connector, straining said yieldable connection and conditioning said connector for movement to the desired position when released from said actuators.

15. In a firearm comprising a pair of hammers and a pair of sears associated respectively with said hammers, in combination, a single trigger; a pair of actuators controlled by said hammers'respectively; a connector adapted to be moved from a position beneath one of said sears to a position beneath the other sear; a manual selector for shifting said connector; said connector comprising an actuator engaging nose, 8. sear engaging surface, a longitudinal bore, and a transverse slot communicating with said bore; a connector pin for pivotally mounting said cmnector on said trigger, said pin comprising n cylindrical portion adapted to be received in said connector bore, lugs adapted to be received in said connector slot, an enlarged head, a po- 

